The 12-day festivities of Mangaluru Dasara will begin at Kudroli Gokarnanatheshwara temple in the city from September 22.

The religious programmes related to festivities begen with Guru Pooja, Navakalasha Abhisheka and the consecration of Nava Durga, Maha Ganapati and Sharada idols at 8.30 a.m.

On September 21, senior Congress leader and the man behind the temple’s renovation, B. Janardhana Poojary, inaugurated the newly-laid roof in the temple premises.

Speaking to reporters on September 20, temple committee treasurer R. Padmaraj announced that the cultural programme related to the festival will be inaugurated by NMPA chairman A.V. Ramana on September 22.

The temple will felicitate Remona Pereira and Deeksha Suvarna, who have entered the Golden Book of World Records for the longest duration of Bharatanatyam dance. Representatives of Saanidya Special School, White Doves and M Friends Charitable Trust will also be felicitated.

The Mangaluru Dasara Mahotsava will be inaugurated on September 25 at 6 p.m. Speaker U.T. Khader, district in-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta and All India Congress Committee general secretary K.C. Venugopal, will participate in the function.

Events scheduled during the celebrations

Mr. Padmaraj said the Dasara half-marathon event for 21K, 10K, 5K and 2K will be held on September 28, and nearly 1,900 people have registered for the event. The State-level bodybuilding competition — Mr. Mangaluru Dasara Classic — will also be held on the same day.

The temple will also conduct ‘Muddu Sharada’ and ‘Navadurga’ competitions for children on September 24. A multi-lingual poet meet will be held on September 23. Every day, for nine days, the temple will present a woman with the ‘Extraordinary Woman’ award, he said.

Temple committee member Harikrishna Bantwal said, “DJs will be banned during the ‘Shobha yatra’ of all the idols, which will be held on October 2.”